Under the Banner of Heaven

By Jon Krakauer,

Book cover of Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Book description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. Now an the acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU.

“Fantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executioner’s Song.”…

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Why read it?

4 authors picked Under the Banner of Heaven as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Having lived in Utah for several years, I went into this knowing a fair amount about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: its history, its leaders, its tangled (to put it mildly) relationship with polygamy, and its equally tangled dealings with the federal government. And still, Jon Krakauer's true-crime masterwork was (no pun intended) a revelation. It gripped me from its very first page.

In the best true-crime books, the crime itself is often indicative of a much deeper underworld that has violently broken through our norms, revealing a portal that the author then bravely descends into. Krakauer’s voyage into the fanatical religious roots beneath a horrific double murder had me riveted.

His razor-sharp prose is so clear and haunting, and I was spellbound as he moved effortlessly between the past and present narratives. This book starkly reminded me of how important it is for America to always confront the demons of its past with open eyes, unglazed by anything but the facts, and…

The origin of a twentieth century crime is traced to the violent history of the Latter Day Saints.

With Mormons, the line between faith and fanaticism, between belief and delusion, is blurred.

While Preparation maintained their anti-polygamy stance, they struggled with their leader’s use of prophecy and revelation similar to the main group of Mormons.

From Catherine's list on communes and cults in the 19th century.

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Currently Away By Bruce Tate,

The plan was insane. The trap seemed to snap shut on Bruce and Maggie Tate, an isolation forced on them by the pandemic and America's growing political factionalism. Something had to change.

Maggie's surprising answer: buy a boat, learn to pilot it, and embark on the Great Loop. With no…

This book blends a contemporary murder mystery in Utah with the history of Joseph Smith and the Mormon church. John Krakauer is an engaging storyteller, and his parallel narrative illustrates the unbreakable bond between past and present. Before I read this book, I knew almost nothing about the unusual origins of the Mormon church, a popular religion founded in the United States. Under the Banner of Heaven is a page-turner that educates as it entertains. 

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Book cover of Currently Away: How Two Disenchanted People Traveled the Great Loop for Nine Months and Returned to the Start, Energized and Optimistic

Currently Away By Bruce Tate,

The plan was insane. The trap seemed to snap shut on Bruce and Maggie Tate, an isolation forced on them by the pandemic and America's growing political factionalism. Something had to change.

Maggie's surprising answer: buy a boat, learn to pilot it, and embark on the Great Loop. With no…

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